29 Weeks Pregnant

Baby at 29 Weeks Pregnant 🚼

What’s Baby Natural up to this week? Oh, not much. Just adding billions of neurons to that beautiful brain of hers. 🧠🤓

What’s baby doing with all that brain power? Dreaming! Scientists measuring brain activity in utero have noticed different activity at different stages of sleep—including REM sleep, which is when we dream.

Baby Natural is filling out that beautiful bod of hers, too. Right now, baby’s almost 17 inches from head to toe, and nearly 3 whole pounds! Two fun facts about baby weight:

Boys tend to weigh more than girls.

The more babies a mama has, the heavier they tend to be. ?

In other news, Baby Natural is developing the buds for her permanent teeth right now—these choppers will lie dormant for 5–10 years before they make their debut.

Isn’t it amazing how are bodies prepare for adulthood even when we’re in the womb?

You at 29 Weeks Pregnant 🚺

Hemorrhoids. The word alone makes me cringe. 😨 Because of our increased blood volume and estrogen production, many mamas can struggle with hemorrhoids during pregnancy.

Interesting to note, hemorrhoids are basically varicose veins around the anus.

Luckily, there are some natural remedies to prevent and treat pregnancy hemorrhoids. Here are some tips to help you prevent them:

Stay well hydrated.

Avoid constipation.

Try not to sit for long stretches at a time. Every 15–20 minutes, get up and walk around to avoid putting too much pressure on your butt.

If you have varicose veins, wear compression socks.

Be sure you're eating at least 80 grams of protein, and salting your food to taste.

Genevieve at 29 Weeks Pregnant ☀

Week 29 Spotlight
Breastfeeding 💡

When I was pregnant the first time around, I figured breastfeeding would be a breeze. Just pop baby on breast, and voilà!

My experience couldn’t be further from the truth. The fact is for most first-time mamas, breastfeeding can be extremely difficult. The first few weeks (or even months) can be rough, filled with doubt, pain, and lots of frustration.

That’s why it’s a great idea to start reading about and preparing for breastfeeding NOW.

And trust me, if you stick it out those first 6 weeks, breastfeeding becomes second nature. By 3 months, you'll be a pro (and so will your baby!).

You'll also want to be sure you have a breast pump (even if you don't work outside of the home). You may want to take an afternoon or evening off and having stored milk allows daddy or partner step in for feeding duty. You also may end up needing to pump to help support your breast-milk supply, to help with things like mastitis and engorgement, and as a temporary back-up if baby has a lip or tongue tie. You can learn everything you need to know about pumping here. And, be sure to see if your insurance covers a breast pump (most do). This post shows you how to get a free breast pump